You Said It: ‘Texas Has It Going On’ and More Houzz Quotables

This week on Houzz, we looked up — to specially treated ceilings and mezzanines. We looked down — south that is, to see how to get some boot-kickin’ style like they have in Texas. We learned how to keep our cool, ancient Pueblo people–style, in the garden and even when integrating a recliner into a room. We looked at the future of backsplashes. We also learned how a good interview with a potential design professional should go. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from Houzz this week.

“Texas has it going on.” — Laura Gaskill

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Texas is well represented on Houzz. Every time I scroll through photos, I find myself backing up and giving a Hill Country limestone ranch house, a chic Dallas condo or a funky Austin loft a second look. From the regional warm modernism to the mandate to keep Austin weird, there’s a Texas-size boldness to design in the Lone Star State. Gaskill helps us distill what they’re putting in the design water down there with 10 different ways to channel your inner Texan.

Full story: 10 Ways to Round Up Some Texas Style


“As you go, take stock of what you see in the yard, preparing for fall planting.” — Annie Thornton

Thornton has collected all of the August gardening advice for each region in the U.S. available on Houzz in one handy spot. All you avid American gardeners should bookmark this one for handy reference. It will let you know what to deadhead, what to put off until September, when to water, how to attract butterflies and more.

Full story: Keep Your Cool in the Garden — Here’s What to Do in August


“They found this Venetian glass chandelier in a French market and had it shipped home, where it spent many years in storage.” — Adrienne DeRosa

You know those TV shows where some organizing pro forces people to get rid of things they haven’t used in years? They hurt my heart sometimes, because I think of beloved items that may be parked in my attic that I don’t want to let go. Sometimes a piece you’ve fallen in love with is just waiting for you to find the perfect home for it, and it can take years. In fact, let this Venetian chandelier inspire you to go through and give those things a second look this weekend — perhaps there’s a spot you hadn’t thought of that’s just waiting for you to unpack Grandma’s brass candlesticks.

On a wider note, I love to follow the Novogratz family and their amazing real estate and design adventures. This tour gives us a closer look at the amazing home they were moving into when their TV show, 9 by Design, aired.

Full story: My Houzz: A Basketball Court, a Rooftop Kitchen and More in Manhattan


“A mashrabiya (also called a shanasheel) is a kind of projected bay window, or oriel, that is enclosed by intricate wooden latticework and sometimes is made of stained glass.” — Mariana Pickering

You all know I love to learn new words, and now I can add “mashrabiya” and “shanasheel” to my vocabulary. I have to hand it to Pickering; she sucked me in by starting her ideabook off with a quote from Aeschylus, then went through the ways people have been keeping cool around the world for thousands of years. She also provides a modern application of each example. This is one seriously clever and useful article. Kudos to her!

Full story: Time-Tested, Low-Tech Ways to Cool a Home


“Drape your ceiling in fabric, cover it in tin (real or faux), apply a lustrous Venetian plaster or layer on wood strips — the possibilities are endless.” — Lisa Higgins

The ceiling is the fifth wall and should not be neglected — giving the ceiling special treatment can be a room-making final touch. Higgins illustrates wonderful ways to make the most of the space overhead, from elegant plaster relief to rustic corrugated tin, luxe silver leaf to tent-inspired canvas.

Full story: Look Up and Dream: 11 Ideas for an Inspired Ceiling


“The first question your potential designer should ask you, assuming you’re sitting in your home, is, ‘What do you love in this room?’” This question is important because it assures you the designer is interested in what you want — what your tastes are — and is not determined to impose his or her tastes on you.” —Mike Dietrich

I know from a lot of your feedback that working with a designer for the first time can be intimidating. This ideabook is full of great advice for how to find the right one. Dietrich explains that a designer should want to know your likes and hates, your needs, your lifestyle and how you want to use every room you will be working on together. In fact, a handful of these questions can be knocked out in the initial phone conversation, which will save you a lot of time figuring out who will be the right pro for you.

Full story: 12 Questions Your Interior Designer Should Ask You


“Sometimes it’s nice to retreat to a quiet spot without completely shutting oneself away.” — Joanna Simmons

Sometimes a mezzanine can cause a conundrum — what should you use it for, and how will you style it? Simmons shows us how skillful designers have used this level between levels to create sleeping spaces, workspaces, playrooms, corridors, libraries and more. She also shows us a wide range of styles, from a rustic barn to an all-out-glam space.

Full story: 10 Marvelous Ways With Mezzanines


“Unfortunately, it’s also often an eyesore. But there are plenty of exceptions — recliners that are sleek, sophisticated and decidedly un-recliner-like.” — Christine Tusher

Ah, the recliner. It’s probably the thing cohabitants have the most trouble compromising over — whether they’re a married couple or a fastidious sitcom therapist and his father. Our typical idea of recliners is often not an attractive one. This is a misconception. Tusher’s picks aren’t just a great compromise — these stylish chairs are comfy assets to any room.

Full story: Objects of Desire: Recliners That Don’t Look Like Recliners


“Actual money plants were sandwiched between translucent panels from 3form in this Menlo Park, California, installation.” — Fred Albert

This is just the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while, and remarkably, it’s easy to maintain. This is the second time I have come across the amazing work of 3form this week; the first was sea grass encased in resin in front of a window in a Kitchen of the Week story I’m working on. Albert gives us the lowdown on a wide range of the latest alternatives to grouted tile and granite, including back-painted glass, laser-cut glass tiles, limestone, marble, metal laminates and more.

Full story: The Future of Backsplashes


“ … here are 35 of them that made our day particularly better — mostly they just made us jealous.” — Mitchell Parker

If you haven’t already checked out the amazing photos Houzzers submitted of their pets enjoying the dog days of summer, you may want to save them for when you’ve got a case of the Mondays. This ideabook will perk you up when you’re feeling blah. It was almost impossible to choose one to share here, but doing “eenie meenie miney moe” helped me pick the fabulous Wally shaking off water after a dip.

Full story: 40 Dogs Who Are Having a Way Better Summer Than You

Did something on Houzz strike a chord with you this week? If so, please add it to this list by sharing it in the Comments section.

URL: You Said It: ‘Texas Has It Going On’ and More Houzz Quotables http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-24374.html